Word adjective
uninhabited
adj.
US /ˌənɪnˈhæbətɪd/ UK /ˌʌnɪnhˈæbɪtɪd/ un·in·hab·it·ed
Definition
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a place where no people live.
lacking human inhabitants or permanent residents.
Simple“The explorers discovered a small, uninhabited island in the middle of the ocean.”
In context“Satellite imagery confirmed that the mountainous region remained entirely uninhabited, as the harsh climate made permanent settlement impossible.”
UsageUsually functions as a non-gradable adjective; a place is either inhabited or it is not.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse this with 'uninhabitable'. 'Uninhabited' means no one lives there now, while 'uninhabitable' means no one *can* live there because it is too dangerous or broken.
Real-world usage
Etymology
From un- + inhabited.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated